[Greens-Media] Draconian refugee bill must be defeated: Greens

Fri Nov 14 14:36:46 EST 2014

MEDIA RELEASE

Friday, 14 November 2014

Draconian refugee bill must be defeated: Greens

A draconian government bill, that includes the removal of the Refugee Convention from Australian law, has been universally condemned by leading Australian legal experts in a Senate inquiry hearing today.

"These changes, that will see the very definition of what it means to be a refugee changed, are the most extreme example of Tony Abbott's war against refugees to date," the Greens' immigration spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

"This bill is all about giving Scott Morrison unchecked power to reject as many refugees as he wants and to keep many more children in detention on Nauru.

"What this government doesn't understand is that fairness actually means something to Australians and this bill undermines that vey principle.
"While this bill will reintroduce TPVs, that leave refugees in a damaging and permanent limbo, it also does much more. Babies born in Australia will be left stateless, refugees will be returned to danger, the government will be given a license to ignore international law and the Refugee Convention will be stripped from domestic law.

"Deleting the Refugee Convection from Australian law is a senseless, ideological attack and it just shows how low this government is willing to go.

"The Senate is the last line of defence against this legislation and I call on all of my colleagues to vote against these regressive and punitive laws."

Media Contact: Noah Schultz-Byard 0427 604 760

NOAH SCHULTZ-BYARD  STRATEGY AND COMMUNICATIONS ADVISER

OFFICE OF SENATOR SARAH HANSON-YOUNG
AUSTRALIAN GREENS SENATOR FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA
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